FA-110 Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Dinoflagellates, Coccidia, Microsporidians, & Myxozoans 1 Deborah B. Pouder, Eric W. Curtis, and Roy P.E. Yanong 2 1. This document is FA-110, one of a series of the School of Forest Resources and Conservation, Program in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date July 2005. Reviewed March 2020. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently supported version of this publication. 2. Deborah B. Pouder, coordinator of research programs and services; Eric W. Curtis, former biological scientist; and Roy P.E. Yanong, professor; Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory, School of Forest Resources and Conservation Program in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other UF/IFAS Extension publications, contact your county’s UF/IFAS Extension office. U.S. Department of Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A & M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension. Introduction is publication is one in a series of pictorial guides that is designed to assist in the identification of common freshwater fish parasites. e publications included in this series are: • Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Sessile Ciliates • Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Motile Ciliates • Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Dinoflagellates, Coccidia, Microsporidians, & Myxozoans • Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Monogeneans • Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Digenean Trematodes • Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Nematodes • Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Acanthocephalans, Cestodes, Leeches, & Pentastomes • Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Crustaceans e information provided in this guide is not intended to be a complete, detailed description of each parasite or parasite group and its characteristics but rather is intended to assist in the visual identification of some of the most common species or groups of parasites seen in freshwater fish. For further information on each parasite, refer to publications in the “Recommended Reading” and “Refer- ence” sections below. Guide Information • Target Tissue: provides the location on/in the fish where the parasite is most commonly found. • Characteristic: provides a brief description about the appearance of the parasite. • Size: provides the size or size range of the parasite. (1 µm = 0.001 mm = 0.0001 cm) (µm = micron or micrometer; mm = millimeter; cm = centimeter) • Movement: provides the type of movement, if any, of the parasite. • Note: provides a brief comment of interest about the parasite.
Transcript
FA-110
Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Dinoflagellates, Coccidia, Microsporidians, & Myxozoans1
Deborah B. Pouder, Eric W. Curtis, and Roy P.E. Yanong2
1. This document is FA-110, one of a series of the School of Forest Resources and Conservation, Program in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date July 2005. Reviewed March 2020. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu for the currently supported version of this publication.
2. Deborah B. Pouder, coordinator of research programs and services; Eric W. Curtis, former biological scientist; and Roy P.E. Yanong, professor; Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory, School of Forest Resources and Conservation Program in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL 32611.
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other UF/IFAS Extension publications, contact your county’s UF/IFAS Extension office. U.S. Department of Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A & M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension.
IntroductionThis publication is one in a series of pictorial guides that is designed to assist in the identification of common freshwater fish parasites. The publications included in this series are:
• Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Sessile Ciliates
• Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Motile Ciliates
• Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Dinoflagellates, Coccidia, Microsporidians, & Myxozoans
• Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Monogeneans
• Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Digenean Trematodes
• Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Nematodes
• Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Acanthocephalans, Cestodes, Leeches, & Pentastomes
• Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide: Crustaceans
The information provided in this guide is not intended to be a complete, detailed description of each parasite or parasite group and its characteristics but rather is intended to assist in the visual identification of some of the most common species or groups of parasites seen in freshwater fish. For further information on each parasite, refer to publications in the “Recommended Reading” and “Refer-ence” sections below.
Guide Information• Target Tissue: provides the location on/in the fish where
the parasite is most commonly found.
• Characteristic: provides a brief description about the appearance of the parasite.
• Size: provides the size or size range of the parasite. (1 µm = 0.001 mm = 0.0001 cm) (µm = micron or micrometer; mm = millimeter; cm = centimeter)
• Movement: provides the type of movement, if any, of the parasite.
• Note: provides a brief comment of interest about the parasite.
UF/IFAS Circular 91 Nematode (Roundworm) Infections in Fish. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA091
UF/IFAS Circular 120 Fish Health Management Consid-erations in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems - Part 1: Introduction and General Principles. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA099
UF/IFAS Circular 121 Fish Health Management Consid-erations in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems - Part 2: Pathogens. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA100
UF/IFAS Circular 122 Fish Health Management Con-siderations in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems - Part 3: General Recommendations and Problem Solving Ap-proaches. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA101
UF/IFAS Circular 716 Introduction to Freshwater Fish Parasites. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA041
UF/IFAS Circular 919 Stress--It’s Role in Fish Disease. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA005
UF/IFAS Fact Sheet VM-78 Bath Treatment for Sick Fish. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/VM037
UF/IFAS Fact Sheet VM-85 “Red Sore Disease” in Game Fish. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/VM059
UF/IFAS Fact Sheet VM-86 Use of Salt in Aquaculture. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/VM007
UF/IFAS Fact Sheet VM-87 Sanitation Practices for Aqua-culture Facilities. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AE081
UF/IFAS Fact Sheet VM-104 Cryptobia iubilans in Cichlids. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/VM077
ReferencesHoffman, G. L. 1999. Parasites of North American Freshwa-ter Fishes. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Longshaw, M., and S. W. Feist. 2001. Parasitic Diseases. Pages 167–183 in W.H. Wildgoose, editor. BSAVA manual of ornamental fish, second edition. British Small Animal Veterinary Association, Gloucester, England.
Noga, E. J. 1996. Fish Disease: Diagnosis and Treatment. St. Louis, MO: Mosby-Yearbook, Inc.
Stoskopf, M. K. 1993. Fish medicine. Philadelphia, PA: W. B. Saunders Company.
Woo, P. T. K., editor. 1995. Fish Diseases and Disorders, volume 1: protozoan and metazoan infections. CAB International, Wallingford, United Kingdom.
The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other UF/IFAS Extension publications, contact your county’s UF/IFAS Extension office. U.S. Department of Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A & M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, dean for UF/IFAS Extension.
Common Freshwater Fish Parasites Pictorial Guide:Dinoflagellates, Coccidia, Microsporidians, and Myxozoans
Deborah B. Pouder, Eric W. Curtis, and Roy P. E. Yanong
Dinoflagellate: Piscinoodinium
Target Tissues: Skin, fin, gillsAppearance: Oval shape with amber color, “granular” interior; may see clear area near middle and one end of ovalSize: Trophont approx. 12 μm x 96 μmMovement: Not free-movingNote: Most pathogenic to young fish; complex life cycle with stages on and off fish
Microsporidians
Target Tissues: Any; common in muscle for some fishAppearance: Often see grainy-looking cysts first (parasites inside cyst); individual parasite shaped like egg or Dutch “wooden shoe”Size: Spores approx. 3–10 μm; largest stage up to 50 μmMovement: Not free-movingNote: Burst cyst to “free” individual spores for identification; direct fish to fish transmission in species studied
Coccidia
Target Tissues: Intestinal tract (most common); may be present in other organsAppearance: Egg-shaped, clear oocyst; typically contains four sporocystsSize: Approx. 25 μm in diameterMovement: Not free-movingNote: May or may not cause significant disease
Myxozoans
Target Tissues: AnyAppearance: Spores of different species vary greatly in shape and size; often see cysts first (parasites inside cyst); all spores have one to six polar capsulesSize: Spores approx. 8–20 μmMovement: Not free-movingNote: Burst cyst to “free” individual spores for identification; in species studied, indirect life cycle involving oligochaete worm
